The Pilgrim Path/Proto-Protestantism

18 March 2018

Recently I was visiting a Reformed Baptist Church and the
pastor, a graduate of Liberty University continually invoked the name of Jerry Falwell
Sr. in the pulpit. He obviously admires the man and it was clear listening to
him pray and preach that he has fallen into the same idolatrous trap as Dobson,
Jeffress, the Grahams, Mohler, Perkins and a host of other conservative and
Evangelical leaders have fallen into. They think America is an 'exceptional'
nation by which they (as Christians) mean it has been granted a holy or
semi-holy status apart from other nations.

Hypocrisy is hardly unusual, especially in the realm of politics.
And sadly we must admit it is also fairly common within the larger Church.

And yet there are times when it reaches levels that can only be
described as over the top, even obscene. Maybe people have short memories,
maybe some can't see it. In other cases one is left wondering if it isn't
hypocrisy as much as just plain deceit.

12 March 2018

In a recent article referencing history as an interpreter of
current events, I said: The lessons and
realities of history are on his side and there's a real comfort in that, especially
in the face of storm and assault. Those who study history with open eyes will
know great sorrow and frustration. They will often stand alone but having
walked the paths of the past... they need not fear. They've seen it all before.

02 March 2018

The US is bent on overthrowing the Assad regime in Syria.
Obama supported this action from its very beginning. From the standpoint of US
imperialism the removal of Assad dovetails beautifully with the designs of Israel
and would represent a significant victory for US policy in defiance of Russia
and to the detriment of Iran.

This recent Greenwald article calls attention to the inherent
danger found in the Neo-McCarthyite campaign against Russia. Patrick Buchanan
and others have also picked up on this and are sounding the alarm.

18 February 2018

Unlike the Theonomists who have chosen to ignore a
significant portion of Post-Reformation history, most Protestants and Europeans
in general emerged from the 17th century with a profound realisation
that Confessionalism was not going to work as a basis for Ecclesiastical
Establishment. England (in part) fought a war over this and in the end decided
for Establishment and Social
Pluralism. The Nonconformists were not granted full status and rights until the
19th century and after but they were at least tolerated. Just because that term has been abused does not mean it
should be dispensed with. It is a noble and even Biblical concept (1 Cor
5.9-12).

The retired PCA cleric who authored this piece has once again
motivated me to write a response. Clearly he misunderstands the nature of Two
Kingdom Theology. I say this also pointing out that he never clarifies which
variety or strain of Two Kingdom Theology he wishes to oppose.

10 February 2018

In the wake of the California scandal of a 'homeschool'
family that was starving and torturing its children there has been a wave of
'hit' pieces circulating throughout the media landscape. This is but one of
them.

Personally in the case of these rather sick people from
California I think a great deal of blame belongs with the extended family. They
knew something was odd and yet did not pursue it. When people fail to act
within their own spheres they will inevitably abdicate their authority to the
state. And now, everyone is viewed with suspicion.

14 January 2018

In the wake of RC Sproul's death there have been a host of
tributes written on his behalf. Recently I encountered an article praising
Sproul and his role in framing the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy
which first appeared in 1978. This statement is met with almost universal
praise from within Evangelical and Confessional circles and there is much to
praise indeed. While the over two hundred signers were certainly upholding the
Bible in an age of unbelief, few realise or understand that modern inerrancy
represents a shift in thinking and indeed a break from older Protestant
understandings of Scripture.

It is noteworthy and admirable to find men of Christian faith
upholding the Word of God. This is especially true in an era of materialism and
scientism. They are to be commended for this adherence to supernaturalism and
the notion of Divine Inspiration.

31 December 2017

Viktor Orban is at this point all but a pariah to the powers
that be in Brussels and Washington. He continues to resist the EU and has
voiced considerable opposition not only to the policies of Europe but even the
ideology of the post-war project.

29 December 2017

Facial recognition software, biometric data, high-speed
processing and lower-order or Narrow Artificial Intelligence are being wed to
authoritarian political structures. It is the Panopticon for a new age.*

I must admit, I found this video to be deeply troubling. I
found myself wondering about the future of the Chinese Underground Church. The
tools of totalitarianism are becoming so pervasive that nonconformists (of any
stripe) are literally going to be forced back into the mountains and forests...
as in the old days.

And yet in the old days, the state apparatus did not possess
drones with thermal imaging and the easy means to access remote places.

24 December 2017

Moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem provides a
convenient distraction for the embattled Trump administration. Embroiled in
layers of investigation and cover-ups to hide cover-ups, the shift in media
coverage provides them with some welcome respite.

09 December 2017

Recently I encountered (yet again) another example of what I
have termed The Presbyterian Fallacy.

Briefly by way of context, Episcopal forms of Church
government do not claim their authority is based on Scriptural exegesis. While they
believe their polity is 'Biblical' in the sense that it 'flows' from Scripture,
they will freely admit that it's not something that can be appealed to chapter
and verse. They would argue the New Testament does not prescribe a specific
form of polity. Or they might argue that the Apostles established a type of
regional hierarchy which over time legitimately developed into the episcopacy.

23 November 2017

The question of Final Salvation is further clouded by what
could be described as Today's Calvinism and the metanarratives it has attached
to Historical Theology. I'm not merely referring to the so-called New Calvinism
or movements like Young, Restless and Reformed.

By Today's Calvinism I'm speaking of Reformed Theology and
Calvinism in general terms. Specifically I'm speaking of North American Calvinism
in the wake of the 19th century. While international Calvinism went
into decline and largely succumbed to Liberalism, the remaining sectors of conservative
Calvinism underwent changes.

19 November 2017

In a previous post I expressed some scepticism and
ambivalence with regard to the recent spate of harassment claims. The men are
indeed bestial and ungodly in their behaviour and yet many of these women,
especially in the arts or corporate settings are not wholly innocent.

In other cases the behaviour can only be described as
predatory. While an aspiring entertainer or businesswoman can always walk away
and maintain virtue (even at great cost) there are those in other situations
that are under real authority in the form of the state and thus under actual
threat. These situations are often different in their nature and the women
subjected to abuse are truly victims. I'm speaking of officials who hold badges
and offices, who wear uniforms and carry guns. These men who use their
authority to abuse the weak are of a different and very pernicious stripe.

05 November 2017

But again, isn't certainty eliminated? By no means. Does it
become all but impossible to form creedal statements and confessions? Not in
the least, but of course I question the motives behind this impulse. The
statements will out of necessity become broader and thus more inclusive. Once
again at this point I will be accused of being an ecumenicist, a liberal, one
whose doctrinal sea is a mile wide but an inch deep.

I write this as something of a sequel to the essay on
Salvation and the Question of Works.

It's one thing to discuss the nature of saving faith and to
refute the spurious charges of rapprochement with Roman Catholic soteriology.
But there's another issue or aspect of this debate that also deserves mention.
This is the question of what is sometimes referred to as Final Salvation. I have
written about it before and alluded to it in the recent aforementioned post but
a few more comments are in order.

I mentioned that Eternal Security and Perseverance of the
Saints are not the same thing. I would argue that the older Reformed doctrine
of perseverance has all but degenerated into a Once-Saved-Always-Saved
baptistic version of Eternal Security. I also talked about how salvation is
presented in larger terms in which Justification is an essential component or
aspect but it is not given the place of prominence, at least not in the way
Solafideist theology has prioritised it. Additionally I mentioned how even
these soteriological questions are cast in terms of the Already and the Not
Yet.

29 October 2017

What practical choices do you make that are odds with Middle
Class life? How are they perceived?

I greatly appreciate the spirit of the question being asked
and obviously such concerns resonate with me. On a practical level it is
however difficult to answer as I believe each person has to work out these
things for themselves.

Recently I encountered someone bringing a rather novel
interpretation to the 'Lord, Lord' passage of Matthew 7. The well-known
pericope contained within the Sermon on the Mount is for many (and rightly) a
source of trembling. It speaks to self-deception and false faith.

06 October 2017

The Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Old
Testament produced in Intertestamental Egypt by Jewish scribes is frequently
cited by New Testament authors and their use of it has generated a great deal
of controversy and even confusion... even today.

It is not exclusively used when citing the Old Testament, but
its use at times seems to dominate. The problem is the Septuagint doesn't
always match the actual Hebrew Old Testament. Sometimes the Jewish translators
seem to employ a fairly loose or dynamic principle of translation... something
most conservatives of our day would be rather uncomfortable with.

01 October 2017

The recent racist incident at the USAF Academy was certainly
appalling and is rightfully condemned but I'm afraid I cannot go along with the
world's praise of Lt. Gen Jay Silveria, the Superintendent of the school.

His speech is almost ubiquitous at present dominating news
feeds and newspapers and I'm sure he'll get a few feathers in his cap. Many are
saying, "This is the speech we wish the president would give."

"This is the right response to racism."

This is insanity on display. These commentators as well as
the general are blind. This is true in terms of our culture and its history but
they are also spiritually blind and their moral judgments are askew. Allow me
to elaborate.

05 September 2017

Helm's writings have always been worthwhile, even when I
disagree with him. Provocative and thoughtful, his is a website worth a regular
visit. In this case it was not so much a matter of agreeing or disagreeing.
Instead I read with interest as he delved into the long disputed interpretation
of Augustine's City of God.

What is Augustine's eschatology? Anti-Chiliastic to be sure,
what is his expectation for the Church in this age? How does the Church relate
to the culture and the state? These are questions people still debate even in
the 21st century.

03 September 2017

This is an older essay that I've chosen to revise and publish
at this time due to its reference in a recent discussion. Most readers will not
find it to be of interest, some will find it baffling. A few may find it to be
stimulating or at least I hope so.

What is a Christian view of the arts? That's a large topic
and one that I cannot fully explore at this time. It is a worthwhile subject to
be sure and yet for all that I would say its value is perhaps more limited than
many would acknowledge.